Eden: Prince William & Kate should be friendlier with European royals

The official Danish royal family Instagram account posted this incredible portrait from Prince Christian’s 18th birthday gala last weekend. The portrait is of the future king and queens of Europe. From left to right: Sweden’s Princess Estelle, Norway’s Princess Ingrid Alexandra, Denmark’s Prince Christian, The Netherlands’ Princess Catharina-Amalia and Belgium’s Princess Elisabeth. It feels, even now, like an absolutely iconic photo and a historic moment for Europe’s royal houses. So of course, the British media is obsessed with figuring out why Prince William and Kate weren’t invited or refused to go to the party. Earlier this week, there was some huffing and puffing about how British princes and princesses are simply too focused on the UK to dilly-dally with Europe’s royals. Except that kind of blows up William’s “I wanna be a global statesman” shtick, right? Well, interestingly enough, Richard Eden is almost *criticizing* Will and Kate for not going to Christian’s gala.

There was a time when the British royals thought it wise to keep their distance from their vast extended family of European cousins. With Victoria’s eldest grandchild, the Kaiser, declaring war on Great Britain and revolution ripping through the early 20th century, the unfortunately named Saxe-Coburg-Gothas had something of a point. But that moment has long passed, says Richard Eden.

And the latest gathering of European royals for the 18th birthday of Denmark’s Prince Christian makes today’s Windsors seem conspicuous in their stand-offishness.

‘The young people who will succeed to the throne in five different countries posed for a unique portrait at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen,’ explains Eden in his latest newsletter for Palace Confidential. It was a vision of the future of Europe’s monarchy.’

Yet, as that photograph makes clear, no one was there from the British Royal Family.

‘Personally, I hope that changes,’ he continues. ‘It would be lovely if the Prince and Princess of Wales forged closer ties with their counterparts on the Continent. They have a shared interest in demonstrating that monarchy can be a force for good.’

If Victoria and Albert overhauled the British monarchy, bringing a new-found respectability after the licentious chaos of the Regency and William IV, their influence upon European royalty was also profound. With nine children and 42 grandchildren, Queen Victoria was known as the ‘Grandmother of Europe’. Her descendants can also be found in the royal families of Germany, Russia, Greece, Romania, Sweden, Norway and Spain.

‘However, when her eldest grandchild, Kaiser Wilhelm II, led Germany into war against Britain in 1914, her dream of her descendants bringing harmony to Europe unravelled,’ writes Eden. ‘And when her granddaughter, Alexandra, was brutally murdered along with Tsar Nicholas of Russia and their five children by Bolsheviks in 1918, the British Royal Family distanced themselves from their continental cousins even further, lest they be tainted by the stench of revolution. Since then, the newly named Windsors have largely kept themselves apart from the royal families of Europe. They invite them to the big state occasions such as weddings and funerals but it tends to be Prince Edward, for example, who would be sent to a foreign celebration rather than King Charles or Prince William. Last weekend, we saw a fascinating example of that when European royals gathered en masse for the 18th birthday party for Prince Christian, the future king of Denmark. But the Windsors were conspicuous by their absence.’

It is time to think of the future, says Eden. ‘And Prince George, aged ten, would have looked cute posing next to 11-year-old Princess Estelle of Sweden.’

[From The Daily Mail]

From the British/palace perspective, I can actually understand why they wouldn’t want a photo of Prince George standing with the other future queens and the other future king. It would make George seem less special, in a way. “British exceptionalism” kind of demands that the British royals are seen as “above” the other royal houses. That being said, this was genuinely a missed opportunity for William and Kate to show up and be diplomatic. Which is perhaps why they skipped out – they are deeply and profoundly incapable. That still doesn’t answer the question of why no one in the Windsor clan went though. Like, why didn’t Sophie and Edward go? Or even the York princesses?

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Cover Images, Instagram, Instar.

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130 Responses to “Eden: Prince William & Kate should be friendlier with European royals”

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  1. CatMum says:

    ngl, my favorite part of this piece was about Kaiser “declaring war on Great Britain.”

    lol! you go, Kaiser!

    • ArtHistorian says:

      Can we talk about how “journalist” Richard Eden doesn’t master the English language: “Europe’s monarchy”, lmao. It is “Europe’s monarchies, Richard”.

      • Macky says:

        Arthistorian maybe that wasn’t a mistake. Most of them are related. To set the windsors apart Europe’s monarchies becomes Europe’s monarchy. Backhanded insult.

      • ArtHistorian says:

        If that it is a case, then it is an very obscure one that fails. It just looks like Eden can’t write proper English.

    • emberlee says:

      *Correction. Willam should’ve been in the picture. These are his peers (heirs to the throne), not George.
      If the Queen were still alive. It would’ve Charles, in this picture

      • BW says:

        Christian is not the son of a king or queen. His father is.

        Estelle is not the daughter of a king or queen. Her mother is.

        Ingrid is not the daughter of a king or queen. Her father is.

        George would have fit right in.

    • emberlee says:

      @BW Wrong William is the next in line, like Belgium, Netherlands & even Spain. Also, putting a socially stunted George with a group of active heirs would’ve been insulting.

      • eve says:

        Bw was correct, only the Belgian princess and the Dutch princess in this picture are daughters of kings. The other ones are grandchildren like George so why would it have been insulting to him?

      • Macky says:

        Ember George would’ve looked real out of place. William may want to divorce to take another shot at heirs.

  2. aquarius64 says:

    I am Camp the BRF weren’t invited. William didn’t go to ex-king Constantine of Greece’s funeral, and that was his godfather. I think that left a bad taste in people’s mouths.

    • BQM says:

      Especially because Constantine was Christian’s great uncle. Constantine was married to Anne Marie of Denmark. She is VERY close to her sister Queen Margarethe.

    • ArtHistorian says:

      I lean that way as well. While this was a kind of semi-state event because an heir reaching his majority is a big deal, this was still an event that focused on Christian’s family, friends and interests. And the Windsors no longer have any deeper relationship with the DRF. The last meaningful one was between QEII and QMII (Daisy actually looked affected when she visited QEII lying in state before the funeral. I’ve rarely seen her look so visibly sad so I do think that the relationship was significant even if they only met once a year).

      • Honey says:

        . . . Daisy actually looked affected when she visited QEII lying in state before the funeral . . .

        @ ArtHistorian – she really and truly did. I felt that you could tell that she was mourning, shaken, and had lost a friend, if you will.

    • Visa Diva says:

      I agree. The royals there were mostly family or godparents. I assume Amalia and Elisabeth were there because they’re a similar age and friendly with Christian.

      Should the Wales be attending more weddings and funerals as Charles’s representatives? Yes, but in this case I don’t think anyone from the BRF was invited.

      • ArtHistorian says:

        Christian’s parents are very good friends with Amalia’s parents – so they know each other pretty well.

      • Debbie says:

        You mean they were “snubbed” @Visa Diva? That’s the way the BM would have put it if someone else was involved in this story.

    • Becks1 says:

      I don’t think they were invited either. It reminds me of the scene in the beginning of Sleeping Beauty, when Maleficent crashes the baptism of Aurora, and says something about her invitation being lost and Merriweather goes, “you weren’t wanted.”

      The Windsors weren’t here because they weren’t wanted. now logically, everything else about them aside, it makes sense they weren’t there. They’re slightly off, age-wise (George is younger than the other heirs, William and Kate younger than the other direct heirs or monarchs) and its clear that there isn’t the same relationship that there is with the Swedish royals (so Estelle makes sense.) And I think sending Beatrice or eugenie (if invited) would have been seen as an insult.

      I think Eden et al are still focused on this because they also see it as an insult that none of the windsors were invited. It’s a very clear sign that there is a close circle of royals, and the Windsors are not part of it.

      • Elizabeth Kerri Mahon says:

        No one from the British Royal Family was invited/attended Princess Ingrid-Alexandra’s 18th birthday party last year, so it makes sense that they weren’t invited to Prince Christian’s. As others have pointed out, the Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish Royals seem particularly close. I’m sure Leonor, Princess of Asturias, would have been there if she hadn’t been doing her military training. Felipe and Frederick are very close as well.

      • Couch Potato says:

        If anyone from Britan were invited, it would’ve been George and his parents. This party spesifically invited the young future monarchs and their parents. Their siblings were not invited, even though their families have a close relationship.

    • robinathefirst says:

      I was looking back at the archives and completely forgot that CP Mary was uninvited from QEII’s funeral, and I wonder if that has something to do with it.

    • Campbell says:

      It seems – the only things Will is interested in, are things Harry is involved in. Think about it. The European royals should be his “thing” but nope. Flying to Australia to support the British team? Nope. But fly to New York, which gets him nothing and doesn’t even make sense? Yes, he does that. Don’t forget in Spare “Africa is mine!” when Harry started working in Africa.

    • Mrs.Krabapple says:

      William and Kate, Charles and Camilla, probably weren’t invited. For one thing, they are way too old and would have stood out like a sore thumb. Do you want a senior citizen or someone going through a mid-life crisis at your 18th birthday party? Especially a senior citizen or middle-aged couple you barely know?

      As for the younger(ish) british royals, they would not have been high enough rank to be invited. Christian is direct in line for the throne. Catharina-Amalia is direct in line for the throne. Estelle is direct in line for the throne. Elisabeth is direct in line to the throne. Why would Lady Louise of britain be invited?

  3. SquiddusMaximus says:

    I’ve said this before: Other royal houses use their funds and status to commit to education and public service. They speak multiple languages and are professionals in their field.

    The last thing W&K want is to have their uselessness and willful ignorance highlighted in contrast.

    • SAS says:

      100%, these two are so vainglorious, it would kill them to spend a few hours in the presence of people speaking multiple languages and easily discussing their ongoing, significant work. The “can’t work because school run” doesn’t hold up with anyone else there. Embarrassing.

    • roooth says:

      Exactly. The lazy W&K can’t be bothered to excel at anything. They are lazy, unsophisticated and under-educated compared to other royals. Even Meghan speaks 3 languages, while Kate struggles with one. They are boring, and dull, because they have led lives of over-entitled laziness. And it shows.

  4. YeahRight says:

    They think they are better than the rest of the other royal families even though they are the bottom of the barrel when it comes to looks.

    • Brassy Rebel says:

      This 👆.

    • MoBiMom says:

      Also at the bottom of the barrel in terms of value for money!

    • SussexWatcher says:

      Not just looks though. I’d add comportment, work ethic, education, effort, willingness to do their royal job, ability to hold a friendly conversation, ability to interact normally with others and not laugh like a deranged maniac (looking at you, Wiglet!), and on and on.

      My first thought looking at this picture was that preteen Princess Estelle is better at her job than Pegs and Kkkeen combined! And she has been since she was a toddler, shaking hands and waving to people and making chitchat. The Other Brother is a joke and that’s why he didn’t show up.

      • Elizabeth Kerri Mahon says:

        This! Felipe, Frederick, Victoria, and Haakon have all studied in the States and speak multiple languages. When William and Harry were young, they spent time with the Spanish and Greek royal families, but that ended when Diana and Charles divorced, and she died.

      • Teagirl says:

        And bottom of the barrel for manners.

    • anotherlily says:

      The BRF has lost its leading position among the European royals. There is a generally accepted protocol that gives precedence to seniority based on length of reign. Elizabeth II reigned for 70 years and most of those years she was the longest serving monarch in Europe. That position is now held by Queen Margarethe of Denmark. She is followed in seniority by the King of Sweden, then the King of Norway, then the King of the Netherlands, then the King of Belgium, then the King of Spain and finally King Charles III. At a formal gathering they would process in order of seniority of reign.

      This is why William and Kate were on the back row at the Jordanian wedding and behind Prince Frederick of Denmark and Princess Victoria of Sweden. The leading European royal at the wedding was King Willem-Alexander.

      • Unblinkered says:

        Very interesting info, and explains quite a lot, thank you AnotherLily

      • roooth says:

        I noticed at the Jordanian wedding that Willnot & Kannot were in the back while our FLOTUS, Dr Jill Biden, was up front with the King & Queen of Qatar. Like Dr. Biden, The Queen of Qatar is also a PHD. with decades of work in public education in Qatar. She and Dr Biden seemed to have much to talk about. Imagine Kkkate next to the Queen of Qatar, lol, she could tell her everything she’s learned about the Early Years. that might take 30 seconds……

      • Eating Popcorn says:

        Queen Noor of Jordan was American.

  5. Harla A Brazen Hussy says:

    I have long wondered why Edward and Sophie were present at the various weddings and such and not WandK. Since WandK are the future king and queen it made much more sense to me that they forge relationships with other Crown Princess’s and Princes, who are also in the same age group. Plus I think that Kate could have learned much from CP Mary or from CP ( now queen) Maxima. The Windsor sense of “exceptionalism” is sorely misplaced.

    • seaflower says:

      Except in Khate’s eyes both Mary and Maxima are competition.

    • SarahCS says:

      They want to be the only fish in the royal pond. They are also spectacularly inept so I can understand the queen not pushing them to engage more and being happy she can send Edwards and Sophie to this sort of thing.

      Now we have C3 and his ‘I want ALL the attention’ reign so no one is doing much of anything.

    • roooth says:

      Kkkate learning from anyone is unlikely. Both she and WillyWanker have NO intellectual curiosity, or drive to improve themselves

      Does ANYONE believe they actually earned their degrees? What professor would have failed the FK or his girlfriend? They are ignorant and dull.

  6. I still think they were not given an invitation. They think they are better than everyone else including other royal families. Does this have anything to do with brexit? Why were they able to got to wedding in Jordan? Why was Sophie sent to Greece for the funeral a month or two ago?

  7. Chaine says:

    I don’t know why they would be invited or go. This was an event for young people? Wills and Kate despite the British press fawning on them and treating them like teens who are still just learning, are the age of the parents of the other future monarchs pictured. And most of those parents are already monarchs which wills and Kate are not.

    • Alexandria says:

      Pegs would look so sleazy if he were in that picture.

      They’d probably copy the same pic when George turns 18 so that he can be in the centre.

    • Genevieve says:

      Prince George is in the same position as Prince Christian and Princess Estelle (and almost the same age as her) – child of the current heir. It would have been natural to have invited them – Princess Estelle surely did not attend without her parents.

      • ArtHistorian says:

        Perhaps, but this is a sort of in-between event. Not quite a state event but not entirely a family event. That means that they can circumvent strict royal protocol. And it is worth noting that while George and Estelle may have the same position in royal hierarchies, the Swedish RF is close family to the DRF and that CP Frederik and CP Victoria are very close friends (and second cousins) so Christian and Estelle know each other well while there is zero relationship between Christian (and his parents) with Will, Kate and George.

        I think the BRF was not invited because this was an event that didn’t require other royals simply because they are royals, such as wedding, jubilees and funerals. It was a semi-official event and the royal guests were people who actually know Christian and his family.

    • CC says:

      I agree, why would an 18 year old want two 40 year olds who still act like they’re 18 at his party?

      • Honey says:

        It’s also wonderful to see Estelle as she joins “the adult” table. (The little baby that captivated & intrigued us is growing up.) It’s likely with the close friendship between the Swedes and the Norwegians & the frequency of visits and vacationing between their families that Ingrid & Estelle likely think of themselves as big sister/little sister or close cousins.

        Perhaps W & K can push their children toward the SRF given that Estelle is 11 and Oscar is 6 – 7, but somehow I don’t see George or Charlotte fitting in. Perhaps Louis? Honestly, I don’t care so I’m going to stop but Victoria and her siblings all have children within the same age range, so . . .

        ****
        I agree that this was likely a close family & friends affair.

        Princess Aoki (Japan) & Infanta Sophia (Spain) are within the appropriate age range to have attended as well. So . . . it was likely a Northern Europe kind of thing w/Belgium thrown in because they are all friends as well.

  8. Loretta says:

    The British Royal family wasn’t invited, it’s simple likes that.

  9. Alexandria says:

    Were they even invited? At most I think an invite was sent to the Palace for a representative due to diplomatic reasons, but not specifically to WK.

  10. The Hench says:

    I guess what we don’t know is whether they were not invited or rejected the invitation. They’re two quite different things. One says the Euro Royals want nothing to do with the Windsors, the other says the Windsors want nothing to do with the Euro royals .

    I can’t decide which option is most likely. On the one hand it wouldn’t be that much in such a big party to invite one or two more royals and protocol/politeness would suggest they would ask. Why seek possible offence when it wouldn’t make any material difference to the party? On the other, if there WAS an invitation, I also find it hard to believe the BRF couldn’t scrape up one representative. Edo and Beatrice would have been perfect if Sophie and Ed were busy and something like this doesn’t get organised over night so there would have been plenty of notice.

    • seaflower says:

      I think we’ve now entered the narcissistic phase of the BRF: C&C can’t have anyone outshine them, hence no jewels for K, and no invite for W to represent the UK at UN. If W&K can’t outshine anyone, then no one will outshine them. No Sussexes and no B&E going to glitzy balls. E&S don’t count anymore.

    • BQM says:

      God I wish they’d let Beatrice go. Her fashion is hit or Miss but interesting. She’s warm and friendly. She looked lovely at the Jordanian wedding—in a tiara! She’d be so much better than Will and Kate. Tim Laurence goes with Anne. It wouldn’t be unusual for Edo to go with Beatrice.

      • SueBarbri33 says:

        I agree with this. I don’t love B&E, but they seem like good guests for this sort of thing. Better than Ed and Sophie who are kind of odd and old and thirsty.

    • Mrs. Smith says:

      Definitely a missed opportunity for George to meet and talk to his peers. Considering how weird K acted in her most recent trip to Denmark, no wonder W&K didn’t get an invite. This also could have been a fun event for Lady Louise to attend.

    • Becks1 says:

      i think if Windsors had been invited we would have heard that by now- like we would have a well sourced story saying “Charles was invited but due to his busy schedule could not attend” or something. Instead we’re getting a bunch of back and forth in the press about whether W&K were just too busy or were even invited or what.

  11. Concern Fae says:

    I think William and Kate are simultaneously intimidated by and contemptuous of their European peers. Not going shows that they don’t see them as peers. Going would mean having to talk with people who take their charitable work seriously and look bad in comparison. Letting Sophie and Edward go would mean those losers would get some good press.

    So much snobbery is about refusing to compete in areas where you probably won’t win.

    • SquiddusMaximus says:

      Spot on. Willy & Katie are not serious people. They are happy to reap the benefits of their position but refuse to put in any actual effort.

    • Jaded says:

      You’re right. They’re both so clearly out of their depth with the Euro-monarchs who are, without exception, bright, well educated, speak several languages and have thriving careers both in and out of their respective royal duties. Then you have Dumb and Dumber….

  12. Beana says:

    Wait, would it have been George in that picture, or William? These are all the “next-in-line” heirs. Maybe William didn’t feel that he’d compare will to his cousins.

    • L84Tea says:

      It’s a mixed bag there. Several of those in the photo are the future future heirs.

    • Beana says:

      *well* (pun was not intended)

    • Amy Bee says:

      Estelle and Christian are not next in line heirs. George would have been the picture not William.

    • M says:

      The only actual heirs are the two young ladies on the right – Amalia, the Princess of Orange and Elizabeth, the Duchess of Brabant.

      • Beana says:

        Thanks for the clarification! I think I got confused because the adult Crown Princes/Princesses seem to work a lot and I mistook them for Kings/Queens. This is what happens when the BRF is my frame of reference!

  13. L84Tea says:

    Yeah, the BRF wasn’t invited. It’s fascinating to watch the sense of family the other European royals have with one another. Anytime you see Victoria with Mette-Marit from Norway, they look like absolute besties. Same with Maxima and Mary of Denmark. They’re all so chummy and close and embrace the circle their families all form. The BRF has always viewed themselves as being above and better than the rest of them, and I’m sure the other European royals know it. I’m also sure they’ve all been watching the craptastic sh*tshow that the BRF has become and are quietly giggling into their cups of glogg.

    • Jais says:

      That’s the thing really. The other royal families seem to like each other. The Windsors don’t even like the people in their own family, let alone other royal families.

    • ArtHistorian says:

      Several of these royals are closely related and/or privately friends. The Scandinavian monarchies are closely related. The Danish Queen and the Swedish King are first cousins. The Norwegian King’s mother was a Swedish princess. CP Frederik and CP Victoria are close, she has called him an “surrogate/extra” brother.

      The Dutch King and Queen are friends with CP Fred and Mary. I also get the impression that Queen Maxima and Queen Mathilde are close.

      Maxima is also the kind of person who reaches out to help others. Like she reached out to the then CP Masako of Japan after hearing of her mental health struggles, inviting her and her family to come visit – and the Japanese court acknowledged how her friendship helped Masako. So there’s a friendship there as well.

  14. Mslove says:

    Richard Eden wanted George at the party? Sounds to me like Richard Eden wants Peg to step aside so George can be king instead, lol.

    • Tessa says:

      George is still a child and it would be imo a huge mistake to dress him up in suits to go to royal gatherings. I thought his parents want him to do well in school with kate helping him study

  15. equality says:

    Is that why Will took George to the game, so that George would be too busy? Otherwise, why couldn’t his nanny or grandmother (who I’m sure would love to get out of town right now) take him over. Lovely how Eden is reminding people that the BRF wouldn’t even lift a finger to save relatives’ lives, because they couldn’t be tainted by association with a revolution.

    • Brassy Rebel says:

      Yes, George V allowed his cousin, Nicholas, and his whole family to be slaughtered because he didn’t want to make British workers mad at him. As he watched European monarchies fall, he kept the British monarchy aloof. It remains so to this day.

      • BQM says:

        That’s actually historically inaccurate if widely believed. There are a couple recent books on the subject by Helen rappaport and Coryne hall that are very good. Plus the recent bio on George V.

      • Cairidh says:

        Edward 8 claimed George V was asked over breakfast if they could send a ship to rescue the Romanovs and bring them to britain, and he said no. Because it might trigger revolution here. Edward had no reason to lie.

      • Becks1 says:

        There are actual letters in the royal archives supporting the idea that Nicholas asked for help from George and was turned down. Netflix used to have a very good documentary on the windsors that talked about this in great detail.

      • Brassy Rebel says:

        Yes, that’s where I got my information. The Foreign Office was involved and, as I remember it, they advised against it. But, of course, George could have helped them. Nicholas was his first cousin and they could have been twins!

      • aftershocks says:

        George V initially agreed to help his lookalike cousin, Tsar Nicholas and family, escape Russia. However, George V’s prime minister, David Lloyd George, advised against doing so, for fear that providing the Russian royals with sanctuary, would incite revolutionary furor in Britain. That advice, accepted by George V, became a death sentence for the Romanovs.

      • Macky says:

        Everyone agreed that George was asked to help and declined. The british media had waited until the heat died down to say ” it wasn’t the king but a courtier”. Get real.

  16. Nanea says:

    I don’t think the Brits are genuinely welcome among the Euro Royals, and that’s mostly on the Windsors.

    If the Brits do get invited, they send the second-row royals, the Edinbores of Wessex. Which is disrespectful, particularly if everyone else sends those in the direct line.

    Whenever WanK went, they were standoffish and more than haughty.

    They seemed completely ignorant of all things protocol, despite them being the least qualified, if one compares things like e.g. degrees and languages spoken. Anyone remember how Kant snubbed Letitia, or how she behaved in Denmark recently with QM and CPM?

    That said, when Ingrid Alexandra of Norway turned 18, there was a similarly cute photo, future queens of Europe, including then 10 year old Estelle, with the very well behaved two year old Prince Charles of Luxembourg.

    • ArtHistorian says:

      It is going to be an age of Queens due to the adoption of absolute primogeniture.

      • Flowerlake says:

        In the Netherlands having a King is something of an anamoly.
        Before him, there was over a century with just Queens 😀

    • zinjazin says:

      Kate did not behave well the last times she was in Denmark. The first time she met Cp Frederick and Mary she refused to taste the food she was offered right in front of the cameras, the very food they were there to promote! You could tell that Mary was perplexed!
      Last time she tried all her machinations with posing for the cameras and lord over QM eirh some type of grandstanding, but make no mistake quen Margrethe will not suffer fools so she just took her arm and put her where she was supposed to stand. QM did it with a smile of course!
      But of course she and Mary again took notes of Kates bad manners and attempted manipulations.
      I am not surprised that they were not invited.

    • BeanieBean says:

      @Nanea: I just looked at that photo. Also quite charming!

  17. Izzy says:

    Again, bold of them to assume that anyone from the BRF was even invited.

  18. Puppy1 says:

    1) They were invited but since they’re on vacation (again), “it is understood” they won’t do anything to interrupt “family time”

    OR

    They weren’t invited because who would want to have to interact with those two dolts

  19. Paddingtonjr says:

    If they were invited and didn’t go, that’s a problem. If they weren’t invited, that’s a problem. Look at who was in the picture and tell me George wouldn’t have fit right in. I’m not sure if the order of the others, but, in particular George and Estelle are the heirs to the heirs and about the same age. Think of the future diplomatic alliances if they became friends. And how could Kate pass up a chance to scope out future king/partners for Charlotte to stalk?

  20. AuntRara says:

    I can’t help but think that 100 years ago speculation would have been rampant about which of those girls would be married off to Prince Christian in a few years. Because, of course, the ones with younger brothers would never rule in their own right anyway. And now, I’m sure, a romantic relationship in that circle would be heavily discouraged because it would cause a tremendous headache.

    I’m so happy for all of them that their positions in life don’t revolve around political marriages.

    • Flowerlake says:

      Hahah yes.

      Even shorter ago I think, lol
      I remember there being a picture of Victoria leaning on Willem-Alexander’s shoulder and there was immediate speculation of the Swedish and Dutch royal houses joining.

      The picture looked very much like they were platonic friends, by the way. Almost like mates watching football in the pub.

      • ArtHistorian says:

        In Denmark the tabloids had the same kind of speculation once when Fred and Victoria hugged. It was kind of hilarious.

  21. Amy Bee says:

    Richard Eden is only crying about this because the Windsors on their own are supremely dull. If Harry and Meghan were still part of family he would not be calling for William and Kate to be at this gala.

  22. Jay says:

    I can’t believe that there was NO invite for a representative from the British royal family, and if WanK were smart, this is exactly the kind of assignment that they should beg for! A relatively close, quick event where they get to dress up in finery and engage in some soft power diplomacy. However, they are both insular dullards, so it’s probably for the best.

    They would be the couple that stays by themselves in the corner and then complains about the company being boring.

  23. BQM says:

    It’s a great portrait. Too bad the Princess of the Asturias wasn’t there. Why do they all look more regal and confident than the Waleses? Even little Estelle! 😆

    There’s this awesome photo too. Instead of Christian there’s the tiny little future GD of Luxembourg.

    https://www.tatler.com/article/four-future-european-queens-pose-together-at-princess-ingrid-alexandras-birthday-gala

    • ArtHistorian says:

      I love that Estelle has the largest clutch of all. 😉

      The tiny prince is just so adorable. He always had been. He had the most adorable chubby little cheeks as a baby.

      • notasugarhere says:

        His baby brother François is adorable too.

      • ArtHistorian says:

        I didn’t know he has a little brother now. I just remember little Charles being one of the most adorable babies/toddlers I’ve seen.

  24. AMTC says:

    I don’t think Eden or the DM give two hoots about the relationship with the European royals. They just want more pictures of the Wales’ children (because everyone is so bored with their parents) and this would have provided an opportunity for them to get lots of clicks and to compare Kate to Mary etc etc (falling asleep just typing this drivel).

  25. M says:

    Peg and Buttons have never been to an event for the other royal houses. No weddings (aside from the one in Jordan), no birthdays, no jubilees, no funerals. They always sent Edward and Sophie because they couldn’t be assed to go. Why start now? Remember, Britain decided they weren’t European anymore, and the BRF were leaking how they agreed.

    • ArtHistorian says:

      Some people in Britain actually calls the Continent Europe, implied that the UK isn’t in Europe. And they do this unconsciously. It was really something I noticed while I lived there. Some would say the Continent but others would say Europe. It might be banal language use but it does say something about the worldview.

  26. TIFFANY says:

    So Eden is stealing ideas from accounts on the bird app?

    I was just having this conversation with other account holders earlier this week and these talking points were exactly what we discussed.

    • ncboudicca says:

      @Tiffany: My first thought was “Ah, Eden reads Celebitchy!” because I know I’ve seen similar comments here. 🙂 I’m sure Eden is absolutely stealing ideas from the internet, it’s got to be hard to come up with ideas for articles, when all his creative juices are having to be directed at coming up with excuses for why the Woeful Windsors keep mucking up, or doing nothing. I think you should send him a note asking for a cut of his pay 🙂

  27. zebz says:

    Who the hell would want to invite these two to anything? Much less your son’s milestone birthday party. The only time they’ve ever been to an event where they are outranked by everyone there (Jordan wedding) they acted like fools. Neither have any home training and their deranged media sychophants would make the entire thing about them. Every single royal family in europe has been personally insulted by William and Kate at one point. No thanks.

    • ChattyCath says:

      Animals need to be house trained before they visit other peoples’ homes.

    • ArtHistorian says:

      I still can’t get over that Kate let Queen Margrethe and CP Mary wait half an hour when she was invited to lunch with them (and they also put her up in the guest palace). Regardless of who the host is, being so late is just immensely RUDE!

      Even with cultural differences (when I lived in the UK people were always surprised and never ready when I showed up on time because it was an unspoken rule that you arrive about 15 min later than the time of the invitation), being half an hour late is rude. In Scandinavia it is MASSIVELY rude not to show up on time if you don’t know the host well (people generally make allowances for good friends, if they let you know they may be late). But showing up so late when you don’t know the host is just a big no-no.

      Kate may be middleclass but she certainly doesn’t have any middleclass manners.

      • Nic919 says:

        Kate and William were so late for an Easter service they made the Queen wait until she just started to head in. Upon arrival only kate curtseyed, which suggests kate was the one who made them late.

        And then of course the coronation where the order of procession was changed because of how late they were. It is hard to say who is to blame for this one, but William certainly was making comments as they were waiting to walk in. And we all saw Charles look angry while waiting for them.

        On solo engagements kate runs late all the time, even with police escorts. William does not seem to run late on his solo engagements.

  28. ML says:

    I completely understand Eden’s wistfulness about George as it truly seems that he’s the only heir missing without a good excuse (Leonor is doing her military stint). However, no one seemed to be freaking out about the British royals not attending BEFORE the party? If it were so important to them, they would have either tried to attend or come up with a better excuse for not being there. I don’t think the BRF or the RR cared until pictures of the rest of royal Europe were released. Now it looks bad.

  29. QuiteContrary says:

    I’m sorry, but I can’t take any monarchy seriously. The portrait looks to me like a scene from “Princess Diaries 2.”

  30. Athena says:

    The York sisters are mostly friends with the pretenders. Those walking around with titles for country that have moved on from monarchy. They show up to most of those weddings.

    The fact that William jogged alone in NY and not with a fellow future prince tells you all you need to know

  31. Vanessa says:

    Honestly in my opinion I think William and Kate are just not popular or well liked by the Europe royals and among their own family. William and Kate are both socially Awkward William is always making uncomfortable weird joke Kate is also making weird face is just social off never reads the room . As much as the British tabloids try to hype William and Kate up as this glamorous couple that everyone is jealous of their two boring people who Can’t competition with Harry and Meghan.

    • zinjazin says:

      Exactly they are both awkward and not very good at socialising and conversation esp Kate..

  32. notasugarhere says:

    ‘With Victoria’s eldest grandchild, the Kaiser, declaring war on Great Britain and revolution ripping through the early 20th century, the unfortunately named Saxe-Coburg-Gothas had something of a point. ‘

    Is it just me, or is inserting the ‘Kaiser’ title in this paragraph of his extraneous and deliberate? IMO Eden is fully aware of Kaiser and her popular pro-Sussex, anti-W&K coverage here.

  33. L4Frimaire says:

    This was first brought up here on Celebitchy and in X/Twitter noting the Wales absence from something as lightweight as this. Will and Kate are a bit old to be hanging with 18yos but they could have had George meet the younger Euro royals, and enjoyed a dress up party in the name of diplomacy. It’s absences like this that make one wonder if Charles is basically benching them for a while and not having them do anything “statesmanlike” . They haven’t done anything to represent the crown abroad, while Chuck is having his siblings/SIL do the work instead.

  34. Libra says:

    An earlier article in an online paper I read stated that Christian had control of the guestlist, as it was his party, after all, so it is no surprise that he invited people he knew and liked. The BRF did not make the cut.

  35. Lau says:

    If they had gone they would have insisted for George to be front and center for sure.

  36. Iz_Q says:

    Gorgeous photo of 5 future monarchs! I think someone at KP is pissy about what this event turned out to be and the international press it got and it is leaking stufff to the BM. Otherwise, why is the BM and the likes of Eden and Arbiter and Tattler going on about no one from the BRF being there. The BRF probably thought it was going to be some low rent event and when it turned out to be the opposite, now they are all salty and pissy.

    The guest list consisted of all of Christian’s godparents, including some of Mary’s family from Australia, the Dutch, Belgian, Norwegian, Swedish royals. CP Pavlos who is close to Frederik and Christian’s godfather as well. Also, there were young people that have distinguished themselves in the worlds of art, sport and culture were invited. And finally, two young people that had turned 18 this year from each of the municipalities in Denmark, including Greenland and the Faroe Islands that had made a contribution to their community in some way were chosen by their respective municipality to attend. This was the wish of Christian to have that representation at the event. Then when the royals arrived, they were spread out around the room so that almost each table had a royal sitting there with all these kids. I cannot imagine either W or K sitting at one of these tables trying to make conversation with kids that have probably more credentials than they do.

    Christian gave a lovely speech, his first public one (Kate could learn a few things). Then after the formalities were done…they pushed the tables out of the way and Christian was surprised with a famous Danish band and from a short video the DRF IG posted the kids were rocking out!! Prince Vincent is seen literally living his best life at the moment.

    This is the type of event that if W and K had taken the time to forge relationships with their peers and done some soft diplomacy, they may have been invited to. These royals have been attending weddings, jubilees, family events, etc. together for years when they were younger than W&K are now. They know who to mingle, do small talk, and act properly. W&K are socially stunted and awkward.

    But again, the fact that their non-presence is causing such a stir and being written about, tells me someone is pissy. Also, it negates the narrative that Kate and Mary are bffs like they and her stans like to claim all the time.

    • Christine says:

      “The BRF probably thought it was going to be some low rent event and when it turned out to be the opposite, now they are all salty and pissy.”

      I am never going to stop laughing at this sentence!

      Hi, Chuck. You are the one who had a coronation and didn’t allow anyone attending to be formal, except you. Your hat party was the low rent event.

  37. VilleRose says:

    This would have been the perfect kind of event to take George to to introduce him to his European royal peers. Not an official royal state dinner but important enough that he could have had fun without having to adhere to rigid protocol. The rugby stuff was fun for George, but he could have had fun here too. He’s only a year younger than Estelle. Kate and William are not setting up the poor kid for success, I won’t be surprised when he turns out to be as inept as Charles and William. But also I don’t think the Windsors were wanted so they weren’t invited.

  38. Mrs.Krabapple says:

    Kate and William would have looked so OLD and sad/boring next to the other youthful royals. That is the last thing they want. Through photoshop and carefully selecting who they stand next to, they want to be seen as perpetually young and vibrant (not that they were ever vibrant, but in *their* minds). But if there are actual young and stylish people to compare them to, W&K will be seen as the sad old nags they are.

  39. Saucy&Sassy says:

    According to something I saw, the invitations made it clear that it was white tie and tiaras. How do you decide from that that it’s a ‘low rent’ event that doesn’t appeal to you? I don’t think they were invited. The photos in the Tatler show a colorful, tiara filled event. It sounds like people had fun–there was a Danish Rapper, so live music, too.

    If it was my 18th birthday that was marked in this manner, I wouldn’t invite people who have no manners. Cant’s visit to Denmark was filled with her being rude to the Queen and CP Mary. Why would you want people like that around?

  40. Unblinkered says:

    Remember too that most of the European royals will know the precise state of W&K’s marriage, and will find the pair of them a bit of a joke.
    W&K were never going to go

  41. ales says:

    Even if English is your first language Khates fake accent makes her almost impossible to understand. All the European Royals are educated and friendly, who would want to be stuck with the wet blanket K. K is a mean girl and her reputation always precedes her, plus always wearing 12 inch heels to loom over the top of others, mumbling and barely able to string words together to form an understandable sentence, would make her unpleasant and very boring to be around. The wedding in Jordan made it very clear that W and K are not as relevant as other Royals and dignitaries. With her belief in her own superiority, and never forgetting that the Danish press refused to photoshop her, would be enough for K to hold a grudge against European Royals. She is well aware that she has no power in Europe to force every photo to be photo shopped. Cannot be friends with people who do not praise her and obey her whims. .

  42. tamsin says:

    Estelle of Sweden has so much poise for a child. Her parents appear to have done a wonderful job of introducing her gradually to the people of Sweden and to royal appearances. She comes across as delightful but quite a serious girl. Now that Queen Elizabeth II has passed, William and Kate are a bit younger but certainly close enough in age to be cohorts of all the the Scandinavian heirs to the throne. However, it seems that they all have had social, diplomatic, and personal engagements for ages, and William and Kate, off by themselves on Salt Island have not been involved. However, I think the Windsors have always considered themselves a cut above, and the geographical closeness of the Scandinavian royals helps with frequent engagement aside from other considerations such as having common anncestors and ties through marriages.

  43. Lauren says:

    Tatler had an article describing the party as the biggest/grandest royal event of the year, which is one way of saying that the coronation was entirely forgettable and lacking any true royal glamour.

    • Saucy&Sassy says:

      Lauren, I saw the Tatler article, too. I loved the pictures of the royals (not just the young ones in the picture above) with the women in their gowns and tiaras and jewelry. It was spectacular. Quite a contrast to the hat party.

    • ArtHistorian says:

      Ouch. Coming from Tatler that was meant to sting! The Brits really are the masters of the underhanded insult.

  44. Libra says:

    What an appalling sense of British entitlement for Mr Eden to assume that if a party occurs anywhere on the planet that someone from the BRF must have been invited.

  45. Macky says:

    I see a picture of people fighting for their survival. Lol. For a few weeks someone has been trying to get some sparks of gossip going about Christian and Amelia. It hasn’t caught on. The Danish people are also talking about if the royals are worth the money.

    The Netherlands royals seem to serve a purpose. The Dutch have an awful world reputation. The monarchy actually softens the blow. The Danish and English monarchy are trying to pretend their countries are harmless. It’s not working anymore.

    I think Charles was right to talk about slavery and stealing. Someone had to.